2016 Taste of La Porte Showcases the Region’s Best Eats and Treats

2016 Taste of La Porte Showcases the Region’s Best Eats and Treats

The 2016 Taste of La Porte gave visitors and neighbors a bite-sized sample of what our region has to offer. An entire community sat down together for a dinner of sausages, pizza, and desserts with more sustenance than your typical fare.

That is because the vendors who donated their Saturday are more than just brick and mortar, they are pillars of the community.

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Bethany Lutheran Church was handing out free sweet apple donuts and sweeter corn on the cob from Garwood Orchard. Their BLC On the Go initiative is designed to give away whatever food they bring, wherever they go. Bethany made it their mission to make sure everyone could be involved in the Taste.

Carrie Garwood, owner of the orchard and active member of Bethany Lutheran Church, said, “There is a feeling of being in this environment, getting to socialize, that we don’t get a lot anymore. We want to encourage that.”

“La Porte has so many secret gems hidden around town,” said local mother Kaitlyn Simms. “Events like these bring us all a little deeper into the fold. We get to know each other, we get to share our discoveries. Like Etropal [for instance], it’s history is so special and integral to La Porte, and I didn’t even know it was there.”

Damien Peak, the General Manager and Executive Chef of Etropal, was congnicent of the effects of their recent marketing and social media efforts that have revitalized their image and put their food back on the map.

“We want people to know that we are here,” he said. The building used to be a theatre and a bank and is now combined into one fine dining venue. It was one of the first buildings in La Porte. “Every city has its historical points, and Etropal is one of La Porte’s. We are trying to rebuild our old legacy. We are at the Taste to start our proper promotion.”

Thaddeus Cutler, the Director of Downtown La POrte, said, “What’s nice is we have a really good representation of La Porte and Michigan City. A lot of times, even though [the restaurants] have good storefronts and signage, people don’t have the time to stop in. They love the exposure [at the Taste].”

He also spoke about the exciting addition of out of town vendors. Some traveled from as far as Crown Point to add their fare to the menu. It means a greater amount of exposure for our city, and good things for our economy. Cutler said the Chamber is considering calling it the Taste for La Porte next year, to show exactly how our celebration impacts the rest of the NorthWest Indiana region.

“I love life celebrations,” said Etropal owner Dean White. “This is a celebration of life. People coming here and enjoying each other.”

Our city is growing and the Taste of La Porte is the best way we can celebrate that together. As Ronald Reagan said, “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”